From the Cockpit: Flying the Cessna 402

View of San Juan/Cessna 402

I always wanted to learn to fly. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with aviation, flight, and space travel. My parents encouraged my fascination – they bought me books and model airplanes, sent me off to Space Camp and one year, they even did a surprise drive-by of Cape Canaveral on our way to Fort Lauderdale for the family vacation. They loved that I had a passion for something other than Guess jeans and AquaNet, and were happy to indulge a little girl in her dreams of flying a plane. Until one day when the little girl went to see the Air Force recruiter at her high school’s career day.

All bets were off when Mom got wind of my potential enrollment in the Armed Forces. Dad figured it’s a win-win — I get to learn to fly and the Air Force pays for my education. Mom sat watching images of bombs exploding in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War and put her foot down. What none of us knew, however, is that this little girl wasn’t getting close to any plane. Seems at that time, girls with glasses couldn’t fly airplanes and as soon as the recruiter informed me of my fate behind a desk, maybe with a view of a F-16 in the background, I went back to filling out my college applications. Mom slept a little better that night, and Dad was back to the library looking up various grants and loans we could apply for to help pay for college. As for me, I knew one day I’d get the opportunity to fly a plane. That day still hasn’t happened but I came close… as close as one can get to the controls of a Cessna 402 without a pilot’s license.

Continue Reading…

Hope For Haiti: How You Can Help

Hope for Haiti

The best part about being a travel writer is meeting inspiring people from around the world. The people of Haiti are no exception.

Those who know me well know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for a child- I’ve written about the Nightwalker Children in Uganda and continue to pray for the orphans in Haiti – these kids need our help. While people around the world await word from loved ones after the 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti and Port-au-Prince, the death toll continues to increase. Thanks to Haiti relief funds set up from airlines, hotels, non-profit organizations and government agencies, you can help in the Haiti relief efforts.

Every little bit helps. Thank you for all that you can give.

Eating Your Way Through Rome

Trattoria Otello alla Concora, Roma

Food was never the same after my first bite in Rome…

With all the smells scenting the streets of Rome, it’s hard to know where to start when you’re hungry. Don’t worry, weary travelers, the best thing about being in Italy is that you can taste everything in one day (as long as you know how to pace yourself).

Nothing wakes you up quite like a coffee from an Italian cafe, and since you’re likely to be a little jetlag from your flight this first cup will be an essential start to your day. Grab a cup of whatever you choose and spend the morning people watching near the Spanish Steps or along the Via Condotti.

Continue reading my post, Foodie Travel: One Day in Rome, on Gadling…

Taking Time Out at XV Beacon

XV Beacon lobby

The ’staycation’ was the top travel trend word for most of 2008 and into 2009, and while I wasn’t entirely on board with the concept (I’m a firm believer that you need to escape your town/city in order to really ‘escape on vacation’) the idea started growing on me.  I’ve lived in the same apartment for more than a decade, and while nothing comforts me quite like coming home, I’ll admit I’m envious of fireplaces, mini-bars and free HBO. Sure, I could get movie channels in my apartment and redesign my wine rack to look more like a mini-bar, but there’s something special about these little indulgences one gets while on the road.

This year started off with a bang – it’s fair to say that 2010 is showing some promise, and while I’m excited about the opportunities ahead, the planning is somewhat exhausting! So, I decided to treat myself to ’time out’ – a much needed break in my backyard where a flick-and-switch fireplace takes priority over trash night, and my Kindle provides the only ‘book’ I’m focused on for the night. Enter: XV Beacon, one of Boston’s best business hotels and a hidden gem among leisure travelers looking for a quiet hideaway. Continue Reading…

New & Notable Hotels to Visit in 2010

Mandarin Oriental Miami

Travel took a hit in 2009, but with a new year brings new opportunities. The silver lining of 2009’s travel industry was hotels – rates dropped, and new properties like CityCenter took center stage just as travelers closed out their year-end budgets and found a few extra dollars in the bank.

Analysts have predicted that hotel prices are on the rise in 2010, so the sooner you book the better the savings. Thankfully, the options are endless. New hotels popped up all around the world and some of the most notable were here in the U.S. I’ve highlighted a few of the new and notable North America hotels that opened their doors in 2009 and are worth a visit in 2010.

So, where will you spend the night?

[Read more via Gadling.com]

Keeping it Together: Five Guilty Travel Pleasures

Playbill from the Met Opera, NYC

A colleague recently asked me, “How do you keep it together with all this travel?” I laughed out loud and thought, “what in the world is ‘together’ and how do I get there?” The reality of the situation: if you don’t love to travel, you probably couldn’t handle this lifestyle. But, there is a little secret to ‘keeping it together’…

It’s no secret I love to travel, but when it comes time to actually putting the trip together there are few things I can’t live without. I love sampling the local food, shopping in the local markets and exploring hidden streets and hideaways that are often untouched by tourists. While my tastes in travel have changed over the years one thing has remained the same: my guilty pleasures. These five little things don’t cost that much, always enhance the trip, and they’re essential for “keeping it together” on the road or in the air:

1. A taste of home: There’s nothing like tasting your first sip of Barolo from atop the Spanish Steps in Rome, or biting into a fresh eclair from a hidden bakery in Paris. The local food and flavors of foreign cities are part of what keeps travel exciting, but there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a Starbuck’s grande half-caf, no-whip caramel macchiato when you’re between airports. There’s nothing wrong with ordering baked chicken and mashed potatoes from a bistro in Provence, or asking for U.S.-brewed beer in Belgium (caveat: you can only do that once, then I’d cut you off and insist you drink from the local tap). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting ice cream instead of gelato or cinnamon rolls instead of crumpets. The little tastes of home keep you centered and as long as you branch out for the majority of your trip, indulging in the savory bites that remind you of home won’t hurt your travel experience.

2. One hour off: It’s necessary – essential, even – to give yourself a break when traveling. Exhausting yourself by running to one tourist attraction after another won’t do you any good. The excitement is overwhelming, especially when you’re visiting a new place, and the chances of you remembering everything you saw are slim to none if you don’t take a moment to let it all sink in. I often have to cram three days worth of work into an overnight stay and an airplane ride, which makes the trips downright tiring. One of my favorite guilty pleasures: Devote one hour to doing nothing. You can fill the hour a million different ways – get a manicure in the airport before boarding my flight, catch the end of the big game in an airport bar, enjoy a cup of coffee and stroll through the city where you’re staying, book yourself a tour, sunbathe, nap, spa, whatever! Taking one hour out of your travel planning will result in a much more enjoyable and productive trip. Continue Reading…